Confession is a sacrament of healing
More and more people are seeking healing of the soul, believers have also shortened the time from one confession to another, but you need to be careful, as it is not enough to confess several times, you need to confess well. But how to do this?
Well, confessing is telling the truth, reporting something that was done; confessing means assuming such an act. In the case of sacramental confession, it means saying the sins, the errors committed against God’s commandments.
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Four necessary steps for a good confession
We can say that four steps are needed. In the first, the person must put themselves in prayer, ask God for the grace of sincere contrition; in the second, do a good examination of conscience when praying, remember what the journey was like from the last confession to the present; then, seek out the priest and confess. Finally, after confession, do penance.
The first step is to pray, pray to God and ask for a heart that regrets the evil done, as it does not always repent; Many times, the conscience is lax, that is, they even know that they made a mistake, but regret has not come. Prayer will be this request to God, so that he may be convinced of evil and repent.
Second step: it is important to do a good job, that is, to take stock of the evils committed since the last confession. At this point, it is worth saying that a confessed sin is a forgiven sin. If a sin has been confessed and no longer committed, it is not confessed again. Another interesting tip: if you have difficulties, fear or shame about going to confession, do the following: write down your sins. This will greatly help you and the priest.
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The third step: look for a Catholic priest, a priest linked to the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church, as he received the role, the service of celebrating this sacrament by the authority of the bishop who ordained him and the local bishop. It is in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Church that the priest forgives sins.
Don’t worry: “What will the priest think of me?” or “The priest is a sinner like me!” The priest won’t think about it. Imagine! If that were the case, he wouldn’t be able to live just thinking about the evils of human beings. He receives the grace to welcome, listen, give direction. By the imposition of the hands of the apostles, by the grace of apostolic succession, priests are collaborators with the bishops, from the first apostles who gave this power to the other apostles until reaching those of today. Why do we confess? Because we believe in forgiveness and the authority to forgive sins granted by Jesus Christ to the apostles (John 20:22-23). The priest is a sinner, but he is a chosen one; and regardless of his holiness, when he ministers and forgives sins, the person is forgiven.
The fourth step: after confessing, the priest gives some guidance. It may be that he asks the believer to pray the act of contrition; then he gives penance. Regarding the act of contrition, there are long and short formulas and it can also be prayed spontaneously. The priest normally gives some penance so that the faithful can repair the evil; It can be a prayer, a gesture to return to the holiness lost through sin. What if the priest didn’t give penance? Calm down! The confession is valid. Say a prayer and have the attitudes of a Christian, that is, resume living the commandments, live your life asking yourself what Jesus would do if he were in his place.
Do not trivialize the sacrament of confession
Confession is a blessing, so don’t trivialize it, don’t treat it in any way. Examine your conscience, confess and resolve to sin no more. Be firm with yourself and pay attention to the gaps you leave for the enemy. When you stop praying and watching, anyone becomes easy prey.
Say your personal prayer, go to Mass, have devotions and pray the rosary. Watch. Is this environment cool? Is this program suitable? Finally, as said above, remember that it is not enough to confess several times, you need to confess and break with sin. With God’s grace, move forward and have holiness as your goal.